University of Phoenix-Bay Area Campus Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Travis

There are several things I would do if I could go back in time and talk to my high school self. However, there is one specific idea I would want to inform myself on; I would tell myself to utilize the counselors provided to me. Sometimes I felt as if I took that privledge for granted, when in fact counselors can be very beneficial for helping you get on the right track and making sure you accomplish your future goals. College life is all about knowing the direction you want to go. I've noticed many of my friends either not attend college or drop out of college, just because they didn't have an idea of what career they wanted to pursue. I think that if you engage in a close relationship with your high school counselor, they can help you find a direction for you and your future. With that, you'll be motivated to learn and seek to reach your goals in whatever career you decide to do.

Jennifer

If I was able to go back in time to speak to myself in high school I would inform myself to take my studies more seriously. Stop letting distractions get in the way. There is definitely more homework and studying involved in college, more than a high school student could ever imagine. I would stress the importance of learning more about different career choices or jobs that are available. I could explain how important it is to have a direction and to make goals. Instead I have just sort of stumbled through life; trying to figure it out as I went. I would show myself how to save money and rely less on credit cards or loans. I would tell myself how saving up for something is so much better than the instant gratification of using a credit card. Mostly importantly I would urge myself to pick a career path and finish college well before I get married and have children. Having to go back to college after becoming a mother is not an easy task.

Darrell

I would recomend going to college right after high school. I did not finish college until I was 35 and would recomend finishing a lot sooner. I experienced the "younger" college life through my wife, then girlfriend who went to UC Santa Barbara. If I could go back and redo college, I would have gone to a school like UC Santa Barbara for the experience of meeting new people and life experiences.

Hali

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I’d tell myself to get a job while I was still in school rather than wait like I did. . I’d have been able to save more money for college, and would be that much closer to being independent. I’d have given myself more information on scholarships than my school did, so I could have started applying even sooner than I did. I would also tell myself to apply for the scholarships that I didn’t think I would get. I stayed away because I thought it would be a waste of time. Now I wish I had done them as a senior, because I don’t qualify for many of them now that I’ve graduated high school. I was really worried about the difficulty of my classes, and I would have told myself that it really isn’t as hard as I was thinking. As long as I went to class and paid attention, I’d do just as well as I was doing in high school. Finally, I would have told myself to enter as a Business major early on.

Catherine

If I had the chance to go back in time and talk some sense into myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to prepare financially for everything and then work the smallest amount of hours that you can. Prepare a spreadsheet that calculates everything from Tuition down to the weekly friday night pizza. Be sure to plan in some money for emergencies and holiday trips back home. Did you know that a student should spend two hours of study outside the classroom for each unit they are taking. By planning everything and working the smallest amount of hours that you can, you'll be able to cover all of your finances and still have enough time to study.